Johnson Leaving Stanford for LSU

Published 4:00 am, Thursday, April 10, 2008

Trent Johnson, who led Stanford to a 28-8 record and a berth in the round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament this season, will be named the new head coach at LSU at a press conference Thursday, according to several sources.

Johnson will replace John Brady, who was fired at midseason. The Tigers finished the season 13-18, and just last week LSU hired a new athletic director, Joe Alleva, who had been the athletic director at Duke.

Johnson, 51, had one year left on his original five-year contract he signed with Stanford, and there had been initial conversations between Johnson and athletic director Bob Bowlsby on a contract extension.

There had been no further progress made on the contract extension, but Bowlsby said on Tuesday by e-mail, "I don't see any stumbling blocks" to coming to an agreement.

Brook and Robin Lopez, the 7-foot twins who led the Cardinal to a surprisingly successful season that earned them a No. 10 ranking in the final Associated Press poll, announced last month that they would turn pro, leaving Stanford with a squad that would be much shorter and have lowered expectations next season.

Johnson had led Stanford to NCAA Tournament berths in three of his four seasons there.

Photo: LANCE IVERSEN

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Stanford's head coach Trent Johnson walks off the court after being ejected from the game and receiving double technical fouls in the first half. Stanford defeated Marquette in OT 82-81 in the second round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament Saturday March 22, 2008 in Anaheim Calif. By Lance Iversen / San Francisco Chronicle. less

Stanford's head coach Trent Johnson walks off the court after being ejected from the game and receiving double technical fouls in the first half. Stanford defeated Marquette in OT 82-81 in the second round of ... more

Photo: LANCE IVERSEN

Johnson Leaving Stanford for LSU

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One possible candidate to succeed Johnson at Stanford is Doug Oliver, a longtime Stanford assistant and former head coach at Idaho State who took over for Johnson when Johnson was ejected in the first half of the Cardinal's second-round NCAA victory over Marquette.

At LSU, Johnson will take over a team that got to the Final Four just two years ago, but slipped to 13-18 this season. Freshman Anthony Randolph, a 6-11 center who was the team's No. 2 scorer and top rebounder, recently announced that he would enter the NBA draft.

LSU is expected to give Johnson a significant raise over the salary he would earn at Stanford. Johnson did not return phone calls seeking comment.